Coin control switch mechanism



s 30, 1941- A. R. vow KELLER COIN CONTROL SWITCH MECHANISM 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 15, 1938 M l N n-:NToR

ATTORNEY Dec. 30, 1941. A. R. VON KELLER COIN CONTROL SWITCH MECHANISM 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 15, 19158 INVENTOR BY%&4.JAZKV ATTOR NEY Dec. 30, 1941. A R VON KELLER 2,268,096

COIN CONTROL SWITCH MECHANISM Filed March 15,,1938 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 i IG.6.

R/ M 7 k m i ;l i i 1]} r "1 /%X {i 1 %-2.5' Fr" 7 /%z" y 2: =16 7 A \\\Z6 f V I?" 5 k i if I E 2 I 8X [5 114:1 f 7 2 x J Z0 F 'IG. 7. I V 5 P Z :l =1 1.5:; 3 15 Eff? Q I a fZ Patented Dec. 30, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,268,096 com CONTROL swrron MECHANISM Arthur 1:. Von Keller, Kew Gardens, N. Y. Application March 15, 1938, Serial at. 195,962

3 Claims.

It has heretofore been proposed to employ time meters for parked automobiles and it is the object of this invention to overcome certain defects in the known devices of this character and to employ a device which will throw into action an electric light, the illumination of which will be continued for a predetermined time.

Specific objects of the invention will be set forth in the accompanying specification with reference to the drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a view in elevation of an embodiment of the invention.

Figure 2 is an enlarged vertical section through the head or casing of the device.

Figure 3 is a vertical section through the head or main casing on the line 3-3, Figure 2.

Figure 4 shows in elevation the rotor disk, one face thereof being shown at the left and the opposite face at the right.

Figure 5 is a schematic wiring design.

Figure 6 is an enlarged vertical section through. the drive reduction gearing and motor elements.

on the line.

or other suitable material. The design of thestandard may be as desired, and, in the present embodiment, it is annular in cross-section, gradually flaring toward its base and fluted for ornamental effect.

At 2 is a door adapted to be locked in position by a suitable lock, as indicated at 3. When removed, the door will expose a coin collection box 4 and a funnel-like member 5 which will check the gravitational descent of the coin and control its drop into the box. Y

At its upper end the standard I may be formed with a horizontal shoulder interiorly of which is an abutment sleeve II. This will provide a double support for the casing head 8, the latter being formed with a central aperture to be received on the sleeve and with a relatively broad base to rest on the horizontal end section of .the standard. These elements may be apertured and threaded to receive bolts 1 applied from thein-. terior of the casing head 6. In this manner, the casing head may be readily removed and applied to the standard.

The casing head is provided with a removable cover 6:: formed with two sight apertures, one an aperture at a which will face the sidewalk and the second a relatively large aperture at b which will face the street. These apertures will be protected by glass closures, as indicated in V the drawings.

At a suitable point on the side wall of the casing head is formed a coin slot as indicated at c, Figure 2. Placed in register with the coin slot and suitably held within the casing head is a box-like frame member comprising a top wall 8, side walls 8:: and base wall 812:. I prefer that these walls be made of a non-conducting material such as a plastic composition.

Top wall 8 will support one or more socket members 9 to receive one or more electric lamp bulbs I0. I prefer that two lamps be employed and that they be independently connected in the circuit so that should one lamp burn out, the illumination will still be operative. Reference to the wiring diagram will showv the independent circuits'through the lamps.

Casing head 6 will be formed with a sight window at d directly opposite a coin-receiving rotor ll, which rotor. is driven by an electric clock mechanism as now to be described.

The clock mechanism is shown in detail in Hz: is carried by the shaft. The reduction gearing between the timing rotor shaft and the rotor forms no part of this invention and may be of any suitable type. In the present embodiment a suitable form is shown as follows: Again referring to Figures 6 and 7, an area of the bearing member I! is cut away to permit the meshing with pinion a: of a driven gear wheel I! car-1 ried on a shaft I8. Gear wheel I! carries a small pinion ll in mesh with a gear wheel 20 on a shaft which passes through a plate 22:: and which shaft carries a small pinion 20:: (Figure '7). The small pinion 20m drives a gear wheel 22 frictionally held on a sleeve shaft 24 which carries coinreceiving and timing rotor H. The means for frictionally connecting pinion 22 and sleeve shaft 24 comprises a spring disk 33, best shown in Figures 6 and 7, being secured to sleeve shaft 24. It acts to lightly press the pinion 22 against either an enlarged area of the shaft or some member fixed thereon.

When the arrangement of Figure 5 is employed, the said electric drive mechanism for the timing rotor it may be designed to complete a revoluhold between them a relatively thick plate 25 which may be of molded plastic material and in which is cut a coin slot at 6 (Figure 2) which communicates with the casing coin aperture 0.

This coin slot may extend downwardly and diagonally with respect to the longitudinal axis of plate 25, and may then extend in a vertical direction, as shown more particularly in Figure 2. The rotor is so formed as to comprise a continuation of the coin slot. To this end, the rotor is cut away to form opposite coin-guiding walls, as shown in Figure 2. The rotor, like coin slot plate 25, may be made of non-conducting plastic material and adjacent each coin-guiding slot wall there will be projected conducting studs 26, each of which leads to one of a plurality of conductor plates 21, the plates being separated. Two plates are indicated in Figure 2 and four plates are shown in Figure 4. These plates are carried by rotor ll directly upon its rear face and inasmuch as the conducting studs pass through apertures formed in the rotor, they may have reduced ends, each of which passes through the aperture of an appropriate plate and is headed to hold the plate in position, as shown more particularly in Figures 6 and '7. Lying in the path of plates 21 are two separated spring switch members 28, 2811:. 1

When a coin is inserted ,into the coin slot c, it will move downwardly by gravity until it rests upon the conductor studs 26, thereby closing the circuit through the normally separated plates 2'! as will appear from Figure 2. At such instant the switch elements 28, 281:, will lie at opposite sides of the gap between adjacent conductor plates 21 and will be inefiective in themselves to close the circuit, shown in Figure 2. The closing of the circuit by the coin will cause the motor to rotate the timing rotor H and thereupon the switch members 28, 281 will be bridged by one of the plates 27 and continue the rotation independently of the circuit-closing action of the coin. The coin forms part of the circuit itself by b'ridg ing the conductor studs 26 and thus connecting the conductor fingers 28, 281:, through the appropriate plates 21 to which the conductor studs lead. When the timing rotor II has moved approximately 180 from its position shown in Figure 2, the coin will be released and will drop through an aperture in base wall member 83:10 at f and will be guided by tube 29, first to the member and thence to the coin-collecting box Inasmuch as the spring switch members 28, 28:: will be bridged by one of the plates 21, the rotation will continue until the rotor moves to the position shown in Figure 2 and the circuit is broken. In this position, the contact studs 26 will be ready to receive and initially support the succeeding coin.

The device may be so constructed as to hold any desired number of coins so that a user may insert one coin for a minimum timing period or an additional coin or coins to increase the timing period. In the construction shown in Figure 2,

a user is limited to a parking period equivalent to three coins. It will be seen that when the third coin is inserted, the lower end of a pawl 30 will be engaged and the pawl swung so that its outer end, bent toward the base of the coin slot, will bar the entrance of an additional coin until a coin is released from the timing rotor and the overlying two coins drop the distance of one coin. Should only one or two coins be placed in the coin slot, the lever will freely swing, its inner end moving downwardly and thence upwardly upon the insertion of a third coin.

It will be understood that the embodiment of the invention shown in the drawings and herein described, may be modified without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Having described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is as follows:

1. A coin controlled switch mechanism comprising a casing, an electrically operable device carried by the casing, an electric circuit leading to said electrically operable device and including two spaced contacts, a motor in said circuit, the casingbeing formed with a coin inlet, and a rotary timing and circuit closing member driven by the motor and carrying a plurality of spaced conducting studs and a plurality of spaced conducting plates, each carrying one of said studs, the studs being so positioned as 'to receive and temporarily support a coin passed through said inlet, and the plates being so positioned as to be engaged by said two spaced contacts in such manner that the circuit is closed by the engagement of one plate with the contacts or the engagement of two plates by the contacts and the establishment of a circuit from one plate to the other via two conducting studs and a coin held thereby, said rotary member being adapted to release the coin upon predetermined degree of its rotation.

2. A street parking meter for automobiles constructed in accordance with claim 1, in combination with means for supporting a plurality of coins inserted into said inlet, said means being adapted to lead the coins successively into operative relation with the rotary timing and circuit closing member.

3. Coin controlled switch mechanism, comprising a casing, an electrically operable device carried by the casing, an electric circuit leading to said electrically operable device and including two spaced contacts the circuit being opened between said contacts, a motor in said circuit, the casing being formed with a coin inlet, speed reduction gearing driven by the motor and a timing rotor operatively connected to said reduction gearing, a plurality of spaced conduct-or plates carried by the rotor and adapted to successively engage and bridge said contacts and thereby close the circuit leading to said electrically operable device, and a plurality of conductor studs carried by the rotor and each electrically connected to one of said plates, two of said studs being adapted to temporarily support a coin between them in such manner that the coin and studs electrically connect the plates, the said timing rotor being adapted to release a coin upon a predetermined degree of its rotation.

ARTHUR R. VON KELLER. 

